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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · current · season · board · wake · date · rush · dip

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. board — a committee
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wake — a trail
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rush — hurry
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. board — to get on
  22. date — the fruit
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. race — a contest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com